The number of companies established in the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) in the first 5 weeks from June 1 to July 3, when normalization started in Istanbul, was 6 thousand 613, an increase of 78 percent compared to the same period last year.
According to the information compiled by the AA correspondent from new company establishments in ITO and commercial document applications of chamber member companies, company establishments in Istanbul doubled the pre-pandemic period.
The number of foreign trade certificates requested by Istanbul companies in the first 5 weeks of the “new normal” after the new type of coronavirus (Covid-19) increased by 15 percent, the number of capacity reports by 46 percent, and the online activity certificate by 141 percent compared to the same period last year. The number of foreign trade certificates, capacity reports and online activity certificates reached 228 thousand, 680 and 40 thousand, respectively.
“We achieved a remarkable output on the production front”
Speaking to AA correspondent on the subject, ITO President Şekib Avdagiç stated that they can see the positive reflections of normalization in ITO records and said, “We are in the 6th week of the normalization process that started on June 1. The figures of the first 5 weeks are very promising. The number of foreign trade certificates, capacity reports, online activity certificates requested by companies from ITO for their commercial affairs has exceeded last year.”
Stating that they saw the most remarkable increase in new company organizations, Avdagiç noted the following:
“Company organizations have seriously exceeded even the same period of 2019, when there was no pandemic. Another remarkable point is about registration figures. In the first 5 weeks, the number of registration transactions of companies increased by 5 percent and exceeded 15 thousand. This data confirms something I said when Covid-19 first emerged. At that time, I said, ‘We will learn to live with the pandemic, we will not be enslaved by it. We will fight it and we will continue to produce.” The data shows us not only that we have been successful in the fight against the coronavirus. It also proves that we have coped with this virus and achieved a remarkable output on the production front.”
“We expect our economy to make a leap in the third quarter”
Avdagiç reminded that the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) Turkey reached the highest value of the last 28 months with 53.9, and the Consumer Confidence Index published by TURKSTAT also exceeded the pre-pandemic level.
Avdagiç said, “Vehicle and housing sales are increasing rapidly with falling loan interest rates. So are white goods and furniture sales… Therefore, these sectors will further heal their wounds in the second half of the year.”
Regarding the second half of 2020, Avdagiç said, “In the second quarter under the influence of the pandemic, we, like the whole world, faced a sharp contraction. However, despite this contraction, we expect our economy to make a leap in the 3rd quarter of 2020. The last quarter of the year will be determined by whether the second wave of the pandemic will be experienced.”
“Turkey has never turned off the ignition”
Stating that Turkey continued its production during the Covid-19 pandemic, ITO President Avdagiç said, “Turkey, so to speak, has never ‘turned off the ignition’. Even though the capacity decreased, production continued. Even though the volume decreased, trade continued.”
Stating that the coronavirus has been dealt with, but this is not an easy process, Avdagiç stated that it is necessary to be ready for a long-term struggle economically and psychologically.
Avdagiç stated that there is a “transition period” that is unknown how long it will last, and that there are things to be done to be successful in this period, emphasizing that they should think of new supply routes and new markets.
Commenting that the new period is an opportunity for Turkey, Avdagiç said, “A business world that prepares and implements new business plans in accordance with the new conditions is a great opportunity for Turkey. In this context, the Istanbul business world should both maintain its current structure and reinvent itself with the virus. We also need to start designing new products and services for markets that will be reshaped in line with the new needs created by the pandemic. We should have one goal: to make whatever product or service we are doing now indispensable for Turkey and the world. We must transform our products into products that everyone will need and feel obliged to buy.”
Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/ekonomi/istanbul-da-normallesmeyle-birlikte-kurulan-sirket-sayisi-yuzde-78-artti/1905710
